Life of a Carrier
by StillFallingAngel
Summary: Nicercy AU: Percy's diary along the years after his pregnancy. Don't like then don't read. It's a fairly simple concept. This is for Takara Phoenix's contest.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. Sadly. **

**Warnings: Mentions of sex, Mpreg, boy love, so on. **

**Main Pairing: Nico/Percy (Don't like then click the back button. I am not forcing you to read this.)  
**

**This is one of my entries for Takara Phoenix's Nicercy contest! If you like Nicercy stories then you should check out my community, Two Princes!**

Life of a Carrier

_Dear Diary,_

Most people will never understand what I go through. Most people even don't know I exist. The ones who do, well, they don't care. I've lived here in New York all my life, my mother lived here, and her mother before her. But, I don't live with my mother. She died and left me alone with her husband who I've called Smelly Gabe since I was seven years old, when she first married him. She was the only reason I put up with the beatings that asshole gave me and now she's gone. It was all for nothing.

I'm alone.

Well... sort of.

My name is Percy. Percy Jackson. I live in a tiny apartment near Broadway. I am eighteen years old. I have one friend. He's my son. I gave birth to him when I hit sixteen. His name is Jack. Jack Jackson. I call him Jackie.

Jackie's biological father is a guy named Luke. We had a thing going on for a while until I learned I was pregnant. Stupidly, I told Luke, thinking he'd support me, support _us_.

He kicked me out of his apartment and told me Carriers were freaks.

Gabe was out of the question. I only went back to his crappy place to get the little amount of things I had, including a bit of money I earned from working at McDonald's.

I stopped caring about myself a long time ago. When I was pregnant with Jackie I only ate because I loved him too much from the start. I was fiercely protective of him and I took real good care of myself. I never drank or smoked or stayed out at night. I let my hair grow and pretended to be a girl so that I could stay in the nice shelters, not the ones made for Carriers. I got passes at school to bring Jackie along with me.

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not stupid. I knew it would be best if I graduating from high school. There's hardly anything you could be hired for without at least a high school degree. So, I graduated last year and earned a full scholarship to George Brown college for the culinary arts. I figured that since I could cook, I might as well become a chef. Maybe save up for Jackie, college fees and stuff.

He loves eating. He was a chubby baby. Jackie likes to eat everything I cook. I let him taste my inventions and see whether or not they taste good. He's real healthy too. Well, he has asthma, but I make sure that he's breathing okay. The air in the apartment is clean and I taught him how to use his emergency puffer. I don't want him to need it and not know how to use it. What if he's separated from me and he has an attack? If I lost my Jackie I wouldn't have anything left to live for.

_Dear Diary_,

Jackie's finally asleep. He wouldn't stop crying for hours, no matter what I did or said. I just sat on the hardwood floor, held him in my arms, and rocked him for hours. The poor thing was traumatized.

Earlier that day, we came across a pregnant Carrier getting beaten. He was curled in a ball, most likely to protect his stomach, while three other men kicked him. It was in broad daylight and in the middle of the sidewalk, but nobody bothered to do anything. No one called an ambulance or the police. Sickening.

I was would've done something myself, but I had Jackie with me. What if they hurt him?

In America, male pregnancy is illegal. I know of three other guys who've had kids and lost them because of their gender. The fathers sometimes get jail time, depending on how much money they have.

My grandfather on my mother's side was a Carrier. My mother never knew him and my father left because my mother was an illegal child. My mother had me tested at a clinic and kept my condition a secret from Smelly Gabe.

If anyone finds out about me and Jackie, then I'd probably catch a one way plane to Canada. At least there Jackie and I wouldn't have to hide from everyone. He can call me 'Momma' in public and he can be who he wants to be. But I'm gonna have to finish college first. That way, when and if we go to Canada, I'll be able to provide for him.

I'm still holding him, even though it's been around two hours since he fell asleep. His little head is resting on my stomach as I write this. He looks so much like me. Messy, black hair, with big, emerald green eyes. He has my button nose. I think he's so adorable. But that doesn't mean that I think I'm adorable.

I hope life isn't hard on him. I hope he isn't a Carrier.

_Dear Diary,_

College is a bitch.

I barely have time for Jackie between school and work. He calls me during lunch break from the neighbors' apartment, babbling about how much he misses me and how much he wants to cook with me again. But I don't have time for that anymore. My teachers are incredibly demanding and I work from 5:00 to 9:00 at the local supermarket, (the pay just manages to cover the rent and food, with some left over. We get by.) and by the time I finally get home, Jackie's tucked in bed and fast asleep.

We wake up at 5:30 A.M. to drop Jackie off at the Sharpes' apartment and catch my bus to the subway station. I reach school at 7:00 with half an hour before class starts. Then, lunch is 11:30 - 12:50, during which Jackie calls and we spend most of it talking. Then, at 3:00, I'm let out of school and I go to see Jackie at the Sharpes for a few minutes before heading off to the Walmart down the street.

I usually do my homework during work. Especially if I'm on loading duty or acting as a cashier. I have a lot of free time while doing that. Most people come at 3:30 after work and school, so the major rush of the day is over by the time I check in. I can sit at the cash register and write frantically about how almond cream is better for pastries than buttermilk.

I've been looking around on the internet at school and I've been seeing a very comforting trend. The housing prices are getting lower and lower in the central sector of Toronto. Jackie and I could buy a small condo near the central business district and I could work at one of the many restaurants found in the area while Jackie could go to school within walking distance of me.

I'm already saving up for a nice place. I've got about $5,000 already.

I think things are finally looking up.

_Dear Diary,_

I am about to take my first set of exams. They'll be tough, but I'll be prepared. Jackie and I managed to get a lot of time together looking for spectacular dishes we could practice for my tests. It's currently winter break and I have two full weeks off from school to spend with my Jackie. He was so excited when I told him that I was staying home with him for a while.

He suggested that I make a red velvet cake with green icing and baked oysters in a buttery marinade. Of course, he had said it in toddler speak, but it had the same essence. He loves my oysters. I had expected him to ask for that.

We had practiced cooking the dishes almost every day. My teacher had given us a $500 allowance from the school budget to be able to afford our own materials. I had used it to buy a small barrel of oysters, a few boxes of cheap frozen seafood and a few pounds of flour and cake supplies. I had put portions aside to keep for making my last batch to present to my professor.

I still have about $300 left. I think I'm going to use it on some new shoes for Jackie and I. And maybe a two haircuts. The college doesn't need to know.

I'm going to have to test Jackie for the Carrier gene soon. But it'll have to wait until we're in Canada and there aren't any laws against me having born him.

But I guess I just have to lie low for a few more months.

_Dear Diary,_

It's official!

Jackie and I can legally travel to Canada next month after I graduate college. We have a small two bedroom condo in Toronto by the lake with utilities and furniture. I managed to rent it for $350/m - which is not an easy feat, let me tell you. I can't wait until we finally move up there. It will be a new, exciting adventure for the both of us.

Jackie thinks that we're going to live on an ocean, since I took him to see Lake Ontario one weekend. He wants to fish with me and go to school in September... That might have to wait a few more years though.

I can already feel the pride in my chest. Jackie is only three years old and he knows how to perfectly char a creme brulee. Jackie is a culinary genius, often completely ransacking the Sharpes' kitchen, making hot soup or roast chicken with a savory onion and pepper sauce. I think he's like Einstein of the the kitchen. Of course, he doesn't touch the knives and can't reach high enough to turn on the stove or oven, so his creations stay raw until the Sharpes catch him and end up finishing what he started.

But ,when I graduate in a few weeks, we're immediately going to catch a plane to Canada, and Jackie can make whatever he wants.

Right now, Jackie is napping on my lap. I have a few free days seeing as exams do not require you to attend classes. Jackie hasn't left my lap since I got home. I can tell that he feels like he's losing me. But I always let him know how much I love him and how much he means to me.

If I lose him, I wouldn't be able to live on.

_Dear Diary,_

We're on the plane now. Jackie won't stop chatting away in my ear.

"Momma, will I get my own room?"

"Momma, who is a loonie?"

I have to stop him right there. I can't have him thinking that a loonie is a person. It's money. One dollar to be exact. I pulled out a loonie to have him look at it. His eyes were wide, like he'd never seen anything so fasinating.

The boy sitting beside us has been chatting with Jackie for most of the plane ride. His father is waiting for him at the airport and he is going to live with him. His mother apparently cannot stand him and resented his father for having been deported and finally managed to get rid of him.

Jackie is giving the boy a hug. It looks awkward. Jackie is about three times smaller than this boy.

The pilot said the plane will land in a thirty minutes. I'll write more later.

_Dear Diary,_

Canada is such a wonderful place!

I managed to snag a job within two weeks of living here and Jackie's been registered in the local daycare center. He talks about his playtime and his teacher and all of his friends. It's so great that he already loves it here.

I feel like I'm on top of the world. It's really wonderful that I managed to get such a great job in such a short time. The place is called ''_Buono Cibo_" (1) and it is apparently one of the most prestigious resturaunts in the city. I feel so out of place in there, but my colleagues are very welcoming and helpful in getting me settled.

Oh, I don't know how I even managed to get this job! It was all such a blur...

I managed to set up an appointment for Jackie at the local doctor. I really hope that he isn't a Carrier. I don't want him to be unhappy for the rest of his life. But if he is, then he will always have his momma to take care of him.

Being a Carrier can be such a burden. I know that I will most likely never marry, much less find someone to be with. When I'm alone in my bed I imagine a pair of strong arms holding me and a warm, broad chest to sleep against. It makes me miss Luke. Well, not Luke himself, just the idea of him. I want to find love.

_Dear Diary,_

Jackie and I went to the doctor.

He tested positive for the Carrier gene. It was so hard to keep my crying inside. I can't have Jackie feeling bad about this. It isn't his fault. And I know that I can't take the blame either, but I just can't help it.

I don't want to see him alone on his prom night or bullied at school for this. I know how cruel kids can be. My classmates called me such horrible names. They went as far as to physically harm me. While I was pregnant with Jackie I registered as a girl so there was no more beatings, but people were still mean. They called me a slut. It hurt.

But Jackie is and was worth it. He'll always be worth it.

At work, things have been good. I'm making $1000/m and Jackie is able to have new clothes. I can afford our little apartment, groceries are easy, and I have enough money left over to spend and still save up for Jackie. I know he'll have a bright future, despite the Carrier gene I've passed on. He's so smart, and beautiful, and friendly.

I'm so proud of him.

_Dear Diary,_

Jackie's in the hospital. He's been comatose for about three days. He had a bad asthma attack at Pre-School in the bathroom. The teachers didn't find him for a long time.

I almost lost him.

He's so pale. And tiny.

He doesn't move or twitch at all. The only thing that tells me that he's alright is the beeping of the monitor.

Wait...

Why is it speeding up?

_Dear Diary,_

Cardiac arrest.

That's what the doctors are telling me. Jackie needs emergency surgery. He might not make it out alive.

I can barely breathe. The room feels like it's crushing the life out of me.

Jackie deserves so much better than this.

Why is he so unfortunate to have me as a parent? I can't provide for him or keep him out of harms way. I can't even hold myself together when he needs me the most...

Please... Jackie...

Be okay...

_Dear Diary,_

The doctor said that the operation would take two hours. It's been almost three so far. Is something wrong?

Jackie has been in there for so long! When can I see if he's okay?

If I still even have him...

The doctor's here...

Oh, thank whoever is looking down on me right now! Jackie is going to be just fine! The surgery took a little longer than planned because Jackie had some allergic reaction to the anesthesia used. The doctors cut his airway open, and took away some extra growth that was blocking his lungs. His asthma shouldn't be as serious...

Why wasn't the growth found by the doctors in America? Was the healthcare there that horrible?

Well, it doesn't matter anymore.

Jackie will be able to go out for sports and his asthma won't be too much of a problem. Wow. It feels like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.

_Dear Diary,_

It's been two months since I began to go back to work. My boss has a son who is also a single Carrier parent and he allowed me a week off to take care of Jackie. His throat is all healed up and he's talking up a storm.

I manage to bring him to work with me. I know it sounds crazy and a little irresponsible, but my boss insisted that Jackie become some sort of mascot or something. They took pictures and posted them as advertisements for the restaurant. Jackie looks so cute when he smiles. It's probably the dimples.. I have them too, but I don't like mine. Jackie's are so much better. I'm glad that he has everything that I don't.

What was I writing about? Oh yes, work.

Well, my boss offered me the chance of a lifetime. I can travel to Italy to manage the newest addition to the "_Buono Cibo"_ enterprise. I would be in charge of running a high end restaurant in a high end hotel in one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. Italy.

The most romantic place on earth.

To me, anyway.

I know, I should take the job, but what about Jackie? The education system is much better in Canada... But Carriers have longer life expectancies in Italy... And they have overall healthier lifestyles.

Maybe I should go...

_Dear Diary,_

Canada's Carrier education plan is almost as bad as America's. What was I thinking? They don't have any sort of adequate funding!

There isn't any other choice but to go to Italy. They have equal education opportunities for all genders. I made sure I did my research this time. Jackie's asthma attacks should be less serious if he has some good exercise in the hot Italian sun. He wants to be a dancer.

And if I take the job, I'll be earning $2000/m. Wow. That is a very large amount. There isn't any reason why I shouldn't take the job!

Besides, there are no more opportunities here in Canada. This country really let me down.

Oh, well. In two weeks time, I'll be flying down to Europe and getting to know the people down there, and a month after that -July 3rd-, I will throw Jackie a birthday party, he's turning four... Damn...this all took place in a year...

That's right! I graduated George Brown only last year! Wow.

Christmas passed, my birthday... Is in two months. Crap.

I'll be twenty.

_Dear Diary,_

Italy in two more days. Jackie is more than excited.

Oh, and my boss told me that I'll be working with world famous chef, Nico di Angelo.

He's so hot... I'm not kidding! I mean, there is absolutely no way that he would ever be interested in me but a Carrier can dream can't he?

Oh no! Percy, you cannot go into your new job with a crush on your new boss! Well, co-boss...

Oh whatever! I'm pretty sure I'm compltely over Luke and I'm getting really curious about sex and marriage okay? I want to get married and give Jackie a daddy and have a bunch of kids with a strong hunk! And Nico di Angelo is a hunk! A hot, Italian hunk with toned muscles and black, curly hair and olive skin and sex appeal for miles. He makes me want to take off all of my clothes and beg him to marry me and impregnate me...

Oh god! I sound desperate!

I'm so horny, it's like I'm in heat! I ahven't had sex since Luke. That was around three years ago! But still, I actually want a committed relationship with someone that will lead to marital sex, you know, after we're married, and children.

Jackie wants me to be pregnant too. But only because he has seen all the other kids with siblings and wants me to give him either a little brother or a big sister... I don't know how I'll give him an _older _sister but I'll try!

_Dear Diary,_

We're on the plane to Italy and it's three hours until we land. My boss got us first class straight trip tickets and Jackie and I are flying refined.

Jackie's hopped up on the candy I let him have, that was a bad idea in hindsight... His legs are twitching and his pupils are dilated. What was in that lollipop?!

He's chatting with the flight attendant. She's listening to him talk about gummy bears and gummy worms and which would caramelize better in a cake. She looks very lost.

The man sitting in front of us smells horrible... Did he bathe with spoiled butter!?

_Dear Diary,_

It's really hot here...We've been here for about two days now and Jackie is a bit tanned. There are tan lines on his neck. I've been putting lotion on him like crazy. I don't want him to get sunburned.

I haven't met Nico di Angelo yet. He's in some sort of custody battle with his ex-wife and he hasn't been able to meet with me. But I'm not complaining. I would do anything to keep Jackie, so I won't begrudge him on this. And hopefully, when we meet, he will have full custody of his children.

Jackie's asthma is just about gone. He still wheezes, but he doesn't need his large inhaler to breath anymore. All he needs is his weak puffer. I'm so happy.

He is running around with the neighbor's dog. I do worry about allergies and how it might affect his asthma, but he needs to explore. And I can't keep him sheltered like this.

Well.

I guess things have certainly changed, huh? One day, I'm limping home because of some bully, the next moment, I'm on the street, and nine months later, I'm stuck with this sweet, tiny baby and he's all mine.

I guess things began looking up when Jackie was born. I realized my talent for cooking and I got a full scholarship to a cooking program at a nice college. And then, I managed to move to Canada, get an amazing job and then be promoted to co-manager.

In Italy!

I mean, what are the odds of it happening to me? I never ever ever ever thought that this could happen to me!

Oh, the phone is ringing...

Crap. Nico just called (_God_, what a sexy voice!) and he told me that he could meet me at the restaurant in an hour. I have nothing to wear!

_Dear Diary,_

Wow. Nico is a god.

When Jackie and I walked into the restaurant, I saw him. His curls fell down in front off his dark brown eyes and his skin practically glowed and his black pants hugged his muscled thighs...

Ahem... Oh Gosh, I was blushing the entire time. His voice is deep and smooth and he had a thick accent. I felt so inferior! I barely reach his shoulders and he's an Adonis! Jackie gaped at the fish tank the entire time. He kept on saying hello to the Nemo and the Dory. He loves Finding Nemo. He has that entire movie memorized.

Nico was so nice! I swear, if I could have him, I would take him. He's perfect. He doesn't smoke or drink. And his son and daughter are going to be living with him if he wins the custody battle with his ex-wife.

I think I'll have to work on my blushing.

My face is so pale, if I blush, everyone will be able to see it clearly. It's pathetic.

Nico told me that the restaurant was to open in one month and by that time, the news will have spread throughout the city.

_Dear Diary,_

Today is Jackie's birthday and he had a big birthday party with Nico and his children and Miss Hestia next door. He didn't want too many people at his party.

Nico's kids are six and twelve. Tyson and Ella. Tyson and Jackie hit it off right away. They were inseparable. Ella and I had a great talk. She and I have a lot in common. Her mother had been absent for most of her young life, so much so that she cannot ever recall her mother at all. She loves to read and hates messes.

Her brother, who I found out is her half-brother, has ADHD. He is full of energy and Jackie loves it. They played all day and into the evening. Nico had warned me about Tyson's energy. Jackie didn't have an attack though, which I count as an accomplishment. He really did have a great time at his first real birthday party. He ate quite a bit of cake too.

Nico and I are opening the restaurant in a week. The day before my birthday.

Jackie is finally asleep. He crashed around 9:00 after all that sugar. He barely had enough energy for me to give him his bath. He was so cute as he was falling asleep in his towel. His eyes were droopy and-

I love my son. So much. So much it hurts. Jackie is my whole world. Nothing would matter if I didn't have my Jackie.

_Dear Diary,_

Nico took me and the kids out to the beach. Jackie, Tyson and Ella went full out wild. Nico and I sat on the towel watching our kids play.

...

That makes it sound like we have kids together. Now I'm blushing!

Jackie waded into the water first, as he's a fish. Tyson refused to go into the water without his dad, so Nico, with his infinite strength, lifted **_me_**into his arms and carried me all the way into the water and tossed me stomach first into neck deep water. I was eternally thankful that I knew how to swim. He was laughing loudly. That jerk. That tall, dark and handsome jerk. Jackie insisted that Nico toss him as well, which I did not agree to, but Nico did it anyway. Jackie floundered in the waist deep water for a few seconds before he began to giggle. Tyson and Ella were next.

And then Jackie called Nico 'Daddy'.

My heart clenched painfully at the look of adoration in Jackie's eyes. He didn't even understand what he did. Nico only smiled and kissed his head.

I nearly cried. Jackie wants a daddy so much and I can't even give him that. I apologized to Nico on the way home, but he told me that every kid needs a daddy, and that he would be honored to be that for Jackie.

...Does he know how attractive he is?

I wish I had the courage to ask him out for coffee.

_Dear Diary,_

Today was opening night at the restaurant and the kids were invited to be attendants for the evening. The patrons and customers loved the food and were greatly impressed at the quality of service that we had to offer. At the end of the night, we held a small meeting for the staff, congratulating them on their hard work. It was such a great night. Nico and I worked like a well oiled machine. He handled the grilled meats and veal while I took over the pastries and soups and salads. Our staff consisted of about eighteen young men and women (five men, nine women, four Carriers).

They were all very young, (although most still older than me...). Jackie took a liking to an eighteen year old waiter who let him taste his portion of grilled veal.

Jackie loves tasting new things.

He once said that his favorite thing to do was try new things. Who am I to deny him an adventure?

_Dear Diary,_

It's my birthday today. Nico and the kids baked me a cake and made a card for me. It was really nice to have everyone there, smiling. I never used to have parties for my birthday, as Gabe never wanted to waste the money and I didn't know many people, but Nico had insisted.

Jackie hugged me after Nico, Tyson and Ella had left. He said that I'm his 'biggest most favorite momma ever'.

I nearly cried with happiness. We cuddled on the couch, just like when we were in New York, and he rested his head on my tummy. He fell asleep halfway through Finding Nemo, and didn't even stir as I tucked him into his bed.

My baby boy.

You know, I really like children. I already think of Nico's kids as my own, maybe he and I could work out. Maybe he and I could have that connection and end up living on the beach together with lots of kids.

Oh dear God, I've got to stop watching the Hallmark channel.

_Dear Diary,_

I am so embarrased.

Nico found my freaking diary today and he freaking read it! He asked me what it was, but I grabbed it and fled the kitchens before he could say anything else.

'm going to die. He READ MY BOOK!

Oh god. He'll find out about my feelings. My life is over!

_Dear Diary,_

Huh.

Umm... Well...

When I got back to the restaurant... Nico kissed me. Like, full out, teenage makeout with steam and pink confetti and fireworks in the distance. I almost passed out.

He told me that he wasn't sure if I liked him, as if I wouldn't appreciate all that he has to offer! He wants to pursue a relationship with me. My life has taken a turn for the BETTER! He wants to date, and maybe, we could get married on the beach with white hibiscus flowers and then we'll settle down and he'll have all the time in the world during our honeymoon to get me pregnant.

I'm thinking too far ahead. I need to go on the first date still.

I'm so excited about this! Jackie said that now we were a 'real live family!'

I'm the momma, and Nico is the papa.

What should I wear on the date? I don't want to look slutty, but I don't want to seem like a prude... Maybe I could wear my green dress shirt and my black slacks. Jackie said that he liked it when I wore that. I wore that when we first arrived in Italy. Jackie said that it made my eyes sparkle. Maybe a little eye liner would go a long way?

_Dear Diary,_

The date was so great! Miss Hestia took Jackie for me, promising him a game of Monopoly. Jackie wished me a good date and gave me a sloppy kiss goodbye. I would be so lost without Miss Hestia. She's been so much help to me, coming over to help me clean with Jackie. She lost her son three years ago in the war in Afghanistan. She fell in love with Jackie the day we had arrived in Italy. I think she's teaching him how to play poker, though... He keeps saying that he folds when he's tired...

Nico took me to a tiny restaurant on the beach. It was very homey. He told me that it was where he, his papa, his mama, and his two sisters came to eat. He said that his parents died in an explosion in America and his sisters moved away. I might have cried a little...

By the time we got home, Nico and I had shared our stories. He got very angry when I told him about Luke and even started muttering something in Italian under his breath. It was utterly adorable.

Jackie ran out to meet us just as our lips were about to meet. He slammed into our legs and smiled up at us. He even managed to get a kiss out of Nico too... Little weasel. I never even got mine...

Nico and I could really work out.

_Dear Diary,_

It's been six months since I last wrote in here.

Wow. What do I say? Write? Say. Yes. Say.

Nico proposed yesterday! That's what I'll say! Oh my gosh, it was so romantic! I said yes, of course! Who knew that I would ever be so lucky?

He took me on a boat ride on our day off, saying that he just wanted to treat me to something nice. But then soft music began to play and he swept me off my feet. We danced in the moonlight and just... Oh it was so nice!

But then as we sat down to eat the dinner he had packed, I noticed a ring on the breadstick. Oh my goodness these things only ever happen in bad romantic comedies!

He told me that he knew what he wanted. And he wanted a relationship that didn't start off with an obligation. He wanted someone who knew his quirks (there are a lot of them...) and knew how he liked his eggs in the morning (over easy) and his coffee (black). He wanted someone who made him happy and who doesn't need to be tied to him for other reasons besides love.

I cried.

It was like a freaking dam broke.

But I said yes. That's what's most important!

Ella and Tyson are happy for us, they begun to call me Mama weeks ago. I didn't even realize until days after when Tyson came running to me crying "Mama! Mama!"

It's a really nice feeling.

But my wish is coming true. I'm going to get married to Nico and we will be a family. Oh my gosh! I'm freaking out! I just love him and Tyson and Ella and Jackie loves them too. We are going to be a family.

Haha, six months! Six months and I accumulated so much! I met a woman who works at the local supermarket and we hit it off immediately. Her name is Annabeth. I call her Wise Girl cause she's studying to be a doctor. She has no kids yet, but she and her husband are planning to have one when she finishes college.

Oh, and Leo, one of the Carriers on the staff at work, recently got married! He was so happy with his husband. It was a simple ceremony in his mother's backyard. But it was beautiful. We were all very happy for them.

But now it's my turn!

_Dear Diary,_

Jackie and Miss Hestia _are _playing poker. I knew it!

I caught them when I came home early from work. She apologized, but at least they were only betting small hard candies. Jackie does get to learn about numbers and adding too, so maybe this isn't all bad.

Oh! We set a date for our wedding! In three months, I'll be Percy di Angelo. Nico and I have picked out the venue, the color scheme and his suit. My suit needs to be white. It is customary for Carriers to wear white to their wedding.

Before I moved here, I was ashamed of being a Carrier. But Nico taught me how to love myself. Without him, I don't know how I could have even come close to the confidence I now possess. Nico and the kids are my rock. Some people need God, some people need their job, I only need my family.

Oh Gosh, I'm crying.

But they're happy tears, don't worry.

Jackie and Tyson are napping on the floor. I laid down a few thick blankets and two pillows and let them sleep. Ella is watching TV. Nico is at the bank, I think. We're all just relaxing today.

My hair is officially out of control. It reaches my mid back. Jackie's hair is in desperate need of a cut as well. I'll go on Thursday.

For now, I'll just watch this Italian comedy with my future step-daughter. Oh! Looks like I _did_ manage to give Jackie an older sister! Funny how things work out, huh?

_Dear Diary,_

The wedding is really taking up time. The planning is taking so long! Nico and I need to pick out china and buy new clothes for the kids and find a live band. Gosh, I didn't know that it would take so much work. How do wedding planners live!?

The color scheme is white, black and blue.

Oh, Ella got honors recognition at her school! I'm so proud of her! She really does work hard at her school work. Of course, she sometimes needs to ask me or Nico for help, but she does very well to make sure that she has learned everything needed. She practices and studies by teaching Tyson and Jackie. Tyson can at least read, but Jackie can't write or read quite yet. But he listens intently. I guess that's a good start.

Nico is very handsy. He touches the kids and I as if to constantly confirm that we're still there. Little brushes across my back or shoulders or my arms and if he's in a bad mood, he'll bury his nose in my neck. He's a really enthusiastic cuddler. He leaches my body heat and when we wake up, we're both sweating like pigs.

_Dear Diary,_

I've been so busy! The wedding is tomorrow and I finally managed to get a chance to sit and write. Nico and I can't sleep in our room together tonight, so he's staying over at his friend's house, a man named Jason. I get the entire bed to myself. Well, myself and the kids. Tyson likes to wrap around me and Ella likes to rub her fingers over the sheets. Jackie just wants to be on top of me. We're a tangle of limbs by the time we wake up.

Miss Hestia insisted that she do my hair and fix my clothes. She's always wanted to have a chance to do this. She's been so much like a mother to me since Jackie and I arrived and I am so thankful that she is my neighbor.

I don't know what's going happen in the next thirty-two hours, but I'm sure it'll be great!

_Dear Diary,_

Holy Shit.

Sex is amazing. It's animalistic and intense. It's so intimate and private yet so open and... Goodness. I've become a sexual deviant. I blame Nico.

On to a less M-rated note, I'm pregnant!

It's been two months since we've been married and he wants more kids. I've been ready since before I met him. Oh, and Jackie and I moved into his house. It has many extra bedrooms and a really big bathroom. We can all fit inside.

I finally did it.

Of course, while doing it, I didn't realize my goal, but I've won. I've won my freedom, my happiness and my dignity. Everything that Gabe tried to take away from me, everything that America tried to beat me down with, everything that I was so ashamed of, I've conquered. I've won.

This is my last page. This book has been with me since I was eighteen. It's been a good run. It'll continue for a long time.

I'm so thankful that I have Jackie and Nico. And Tyson and Ella. And Miss Hestia! And Annabeth! Wow.

...I need to buy a new notebook.

**AN: I just bought marshmallows. Let the flaming commence. **


End file.
